Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program’s fall camp is underway, and the anticipation for the Tigers’ opener against the Duke Blue Devils is building.
People would hear Duke opener for many years and not think much of it. 2023 is not one of those years.
Duke head coach Mike Elko won ACC Coach of the Year in his first season with the Blue Devils, and the roster remains strong heading into the season. With a star quarterback in Riley Leonard under center, Duke is no joke and will have another competitive season in the ACC. It could be a tough task for the Tigers as opening week can surprise and be unpredictable.
“We need to show up with a great focus and commitment every day and we need to learn and grow from the success and the mistakes of the day before and just kind of build throughout camp. That’s part of it and obviously we need a little luck to stay healthy in a couple spots for sure,” Swinney said.
“We don’t get to play football until Labor Day night. You saw a game last night…there’s a reason why the pros play preseason games, for that reason right there. Cause they haven’t played football, it’s a long time to go. I don’t care how much you practice, there’s no simulation of playing the game and even when you get two scrimmages, you’re still going against each other.”
Opening week can be a challenge for many, but not everyone plays the highest caliber opponents to open their season. While Duke isn’t a premier college football team heading into the 2023 season, they are a talented group that could shock many with their performance. They did exactly that last season.
“We’re playing a really, really good team in duke who’s got a ton of confidence and a ton of guys back. There’s always challenges,” the Clemson head coach said. “You get into game week, you’ve only got so much time…we’ve been working on our first few opponents since the spring and guess what, they’re going to be doing that for us too…the key is finding a way to win the opener and then you go from there.”
The Tigers matchup with the Blue Devils should be an excellent one. It will be a good opportunity for Clemson to start the season off with a bang.
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